The Boy Who Saw Her Cry
by makura moderski
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Shikamaru hates the parties his mother throws and slips away for a walk, finds himself in the woods. He's content with looking up at the stars until something catches his eye. Shika/femNaru! please R


The Boy Who Saw Her Cry

Pairing: Shika/femNaru

Genre: Hurt Comfort/ Romance

Setting: AU-ish Konoha at Christmas time

Warnings: Female Naruto, very OOC Yoshino.

**Disclaimer**: The characters depicted, settings, and some terminology in this fan work are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. The views and opinions of this fan based work in no way reflect the views or opinions of Masashi Kishimoto. This is a fanfiction written purely for entertainment purposes and nothing more. The author of this fan based work receives no profit gain in writing this.

Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Shikamaru hates the parties his mother throws, he believes them too troublesome and slips away for walk. He wanders the snowy streets of Konoha and soon finds himself in the forest, and is content with looking up at the stars when something catches his eye.

AN: I hope you guys like it I tried my best. I hope you enjoy it, also this is my first Christmas fic so go easy on me! A lot of OOC, but it shouldn't be horrible at least I hope not. Okay guys I made Yoshino a bitch in this one sorry.

_**Merry Christmas**_and _**Happy Holidays**_ everyone. (Haha a little late my bad…)

Shikamaru sighed loudly not that anyone would have noticed his discontent anyways. They were too busy laughing and talking to even notice him. It was like this every year for him. His parents, well his mother would throw a Christmas Eve party and force him and his father to 'enjoy' it, and smile. On the brunette's list of troublesome things Christmas parties topped it. He sat in the only unoccupied chair he could find which ended up being in the corner of the room.

He sighed again gaining the attention of no one. The night was going by painfully slow for the genius, and he was growing restless of sitting still. Yes the laziest shinobi to ever be born into Konoha was feeling restless and even a bit antsy. It was all the noise and senseless posing they all did. None of these people ever gave his family the time of day all year long but now that they were invited to a party of course they came right over.

Shikamaru didn't even know most of the people here. His mother wished to keep up with the other more affluent families of Konoha so she threw these parties and this one he hated most. Christmas was a time to spend with family not a time to climb the social ladder, but Yoshino didn't see it that way. Shikamaru hated it. He began to hate Christmas.

He sat in the corner frowning and glaring at the people in the room. It wasn't long before his mother noticed and walked promptly over to him. She stood in front of him and whispered harshly. Her face was distraught.

"What are you doing?!"

"Enjoying the party." he replied sarcastically.

"Do you enjoy embarrassing me? These people are really important and first impressions are everything! I need you to smile and mingle with the guests."

"No." he replied defiantly.

Shikamaru glared at his mother who was trying to keep that fake smile plastered firmly to her face, but it failing.

"Look, many heads of prominent families have come here tonight and we need to schmooze them. You got it! Now you better smile and act like we're a happy family. You got it?"

'but we're not happy…'

"I refuse to be fake like you." he stated matter-of-factly.

"Do realize how important these people are? If we're able to get in good with them our social standing will definitely change for the better." She whispered loudly momentarily losing her smile, but she regained it quickly in fear of causing a scene.

"Fine I'll smile for you." He said as he stood and started walking towards the door. "As I walk out the door." He finished slamming the door behind himself.

A few of the guest seemed to notice something was wrong, but Yoshino just smiled.

"Oh, I sent him out for some more ice, and the wind is just terrible." She said aloud with a large smile trying to keep appearances.

Most people bought it and went back to talking, and she inwardly sighed feeling as though she'd dodged a bullet with that one.

Shikamaru trudged out into the snow, not even caring he didn't even bother to grab his heavier coat. He'd rather freeze to death than go back in there, where he'd be used to advance their social standing.

'Troublesome bitch always acting fake…'he grumbled to himself.

This was the first time he refused to play her game. He usually just smiled and bared it, but this year was the last straw he just couldn't take it anymore. He never cared about where his family ranked on the social ladder, and doubted he'd ever care, but to his mother it seemed to be everything. Everything that woman did was to keep up appearances.

*Sigh*

The party would last well into the early morning hours and he no intention of going back until the house was empty, so he continued walking throw the snow. He was barely paying any attention to where he was going, but the streets were empty so it didn't matter.

His foul mood was soon soothed by the way the moon and stars shone on the fallen snow. He wandered towards the forest where he could sit without fear of being disturbed. The cold nipped at his skin, but he didn't mind so much as he gazed at his surroundings.

He reached his favorite clearing in no time and smiled. It was well lit due to the moon's light and he settled down underneath a tree where the snow hadn't reached. The trees blocked the frigid winds from him, but the ground was cold. He shivered slightly as he looked up at the stars.

For a few moments he was able to forget about his problems, and he smiled. It took a moment before he realized he wasn't alone, when out of the corner of his eye he saw something move. His eyes quickly moved to follow whatever had moved.

He saw that it was a girl with long blonde hair bound in loose pigtails. Her back was facing him and she was kneeling in the snow looking up at the sky. He wondered what she was doing out here this late and all alone. She must have been out there for quite a while because her pale orange sweater was barely visible with all the snow that built up on it.

Shikamaru slowly stood. It seemed to him she hadn't even noticed he was there. He decided to make his presence known since he wasn't trying to scare her.

"Oi girl, are you alright?" he called out.

As he walked the features he saw of her were familiar, but he just couldn't place her without seeing her face.

Naruko jumped not realizing she wasn't alone, and turned. Shikamaru's eyes widened finally seeing the girls face clearly, and instantly recognized her. He watched her stand up. Her blue eyes stared up startled at the brunette. He noticed her stance was rigid and her face reflected anxiousness.

'Naruko?'

He went to school with her, and had even been in several of her classes over the years. They weren't very close, but he didn't dislike her by any means. Their paths just hadn't crossed before now.

"Shikamaru?" she asked watching as he walked over to her.

"Naruko, what are you doing out here?"

She didn't answer right away and was suddenly reluctant to look Shikamaru in the eyes. "I was just taking a walk." she finally answered looking up at him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Shikamaru studied her face for any signs she was anything but okay. He wasn't buying the whole 'taking a walk' thing. No one in their right mind would be outside walking alone in the snow on Christmas Eve. Although, it's true that's what he was doing, but if truth be told he'd rather not be outside tonight alone. It was either take a walk or stay there and further the farce that had been his life.

"Really? A walk this late at night all alone?" he asked her.

"Yea." She smiled.

Shikamaru frowned. Her smile was one he'd seen several times before on his own mother. It was all a charade and he knew it. He was actually angry she was lying like that, but he quickly reminded himself they didn't know each other all that well and he couldn't expect her to just reveal personal information like that. He sighed loudly, and she frowned at his reaction.

"What are _you _doing out here? Aren't your parents throwing a huge party tonight?" she asked in an reproving tone.

He nodded in a displeased manner and grunted a response. Naruko noticed his displeasure on the topic, but she never did know when to give up anyways, and right now she wanted nothing more than to revert the conversation back to him.

"Then why aren't you at home enjoying it?" she asked wishing she had a nice place to return to.

"I hate those parties." He managed to keep calm even though his anger was building back up.

"Really, but why? I mean isn't it great to have all those people around, especially for Christmas?"

"No. I'd rather be all alone than spend Christmas with my family and their friends." He spoke with a hint of venom in his voice.

Naruko looked downcast for a moment. She would give anything to be surrounded by family and friends. She'd give anything to hear her mother laugh and her father complain about putting up the tree just _once _more. Her parents used to hold Christmas parties every year, when she was young, but not anymore. Now she was all alone.

"I doubt that very much…" she spoke quietly thinking of how she spent her own holidays.

"I could really care less about them especially over the holidays."

Shikamaru noticed Naruko looked near tears even though he could tell she was trying her best not to show it. She hated that he was speaking about his family like that. It made her angry. He shouldn't take them for granted like that. She wished she had a family.

"How could you say that?! You only get _one_ family!" she yelled but quickly covered her mouth as she realized she'd yelled.

Shikamaru was surprised at her sudden outburst. "Naruko?"

Naruko didn't look at him, and her face grew red with anger and embarrassment. Her heart pounded with her anger, and anxiousness. Shikamaru was confused by her outburst and struggled to speak as he watched tears fall from her beautiful eyes.

"Na..ru..ko?"

Her eyes snapped open and tears streamed her face as she looked at Shikamaru. In the time it took the brunette to blink she took off running through the snow.

"Hey wait! Stop!" he yelled.

He followed her into the empty streets running faster than he'd run in a long time. He wondered why she ran like that, and if she was mad at him, because for some reason it hurt to think she was mad at him. He cursed himself for being so lazy as she was almost out of his sight. Shikamaru couldn't believe how fast she was running, although she held the record for the fifty yard dash at school so maybe he shouldn't have been so surprised after all. He picked up his pace and kept following her.

"Oi! Troublesome girl wait up!"

Naruko kept running all the while berating herself for crying in front of Shikamaru.

She hated for people to see her as anything but a happy girl who smiled all the time. She was Naruko. She smiled. She laughed. She _didn't_ cry. She never cries, but for some reason she did just now. Something about him made her drop her act, and she didn't know why. It was confusing and frustrating all at once.

She listened to his calls, but didn't answer. She just wanted to get away from him, the boy who saw her cry. She fought back the urge to cry again, and regained her fallen face until he yelled again.

"Naruko! Watch out!"

Naruko turned back to face forward just in time to see a patch of ice, but she wasn't quick enough to do anything about it. Her feet slid out from beneath her and she went down. Her head hit the street with a loud thud.

Shikamaru knelt on the ground next to her. Her eyes were opened wide in shock and pain. She tried to move but she couldn't seem to get her legs to move. All she felt was splitting pain in the back of her head. She thought for sure she'd split her head open, but she was fine.

"Naruko! Hey are you alright?"

She moaned and rolled her head away from his gaze. She felt her cheeks heat up as her embarrassment grew.

He felt like a jerk for chasing her down an icy street. He gritted his teeth, for someone who was considered a genius that was a stupid thing to do. Now she was angry and wouldn't even talk to him.

"Naruko!"

"Ugh…what? I'm fine really!" she said forcing a smile even though she was still a little dazed.

*Sigh*

"Are you hurt at all?"

"Nope I'm alright! Hehe." She giggled nervously.

Naruko tried to stand with Shikamaru's help but only ended up crumpling in pain gasping loudly. She clutched her ankle.

"What is it?"

"I guess I twisted my ankle when I fell…" she replied reluctantly.

"Troublesome girl, I guess I have no choice."

His words confused her until he scooped her up bridal style into his arms. Her face turned red instantly.

"Put me down I can walk now really!"

Shikamaru ignored that and held her close to his chest only making her that much more uncomfortable. Her heart was pounding and her stomach felt like it was flip flopping. She looked up surprised at him as he smiled down at her.

"So, which way is your house?" he asked.

"It's on the other side of town." She replied guiltily.

"Geeze, what were you doing so far away from home?"

"I already answered that!" she half yelled surprising herself.

She found her emotions again unstable. What was it about him that did this to her? She was so confused.

"Oh, right taking a walk…" he said in a disbelieving tone.

"Well, how then did you end up in the woods?"

"I…don't know. I was just walking."

"Weren't you cold?"

"I guess so, but it didn't bother me much." She answered in a distant voice.

Several long moments of silence spanned between them until Shikamaru broke it.

"I guess I felt the same when I left for my walk. It was cold but, I just didn't care ya know?"

He watched Naruko lift her head to look at Shikamaru. His statement before piqued her interest. She nodded hoping he'd continue, maybe she'd figure out why he made her feel so different.

"I just wanted to be alone. Was it that way for you?" he asked Naruko.

"Yea…. something like that…" she lied, although he wasn't entirely convinced it was really like that.

After a while of walking they came to a crossroad, and Shikamaru stopped. "Which way now?"

"That way." She answered pointing to the left. "I live in those apartments on the seventh floor."

*Sigh*

"Really? That much farther? You are troublesome."

"Well, I'd be able to walk myself if someone hadn't made me fall!"

"You were the one who took off running!"

"I wouldn't have slipped if you weren't chasing me." She grumbled loudly.

They reached the seventh floor and Naruko got out her keys. Shikamaru looked around until she pointed to the door on their right. Shikamaru sighed in relief that he'd finally gotten her home. He stood in front of the door and let her unlock it. He pushed the door open.

"So are your parents home?" he asked when he noticed all the lights were off.

He felt her body tense up. He stood in the doorway waiting for her to answer, and that's when he realized it all. Everything seemed to fall into place.

"_How could you say that?! You only get one family!" _

He understood now. "I see you live here alone then?"

Even in the dark he could still see her nod. With another sigh he let himself into the apartment and found the light switch. She didn't look at him rather she stared at the floor. He looked around the tiny apartment. The living room area had one sofa and a small coffee table, and that was it. He frowned setting her down on the couch, and plopping down next to her.

Her face shone red, but he figured it was from being outside so long and thought nothing of it. Truth be told even though she was so light he was exhausted from everything. He leaned back lazily.

"So what's it look like?" he asked seeing her rolling up her pant leg some.

"It's okay."

He leaned over examining her ankle, "It looks swollen, you'd better take it easy."

"No no, it's fine really." but her argument died with a look at his serious face.

"Do you have any crutches?"

"No."

"Well that's no good. I guess I'll have to be your crutches even if it will be troublesome…"

"But I'm fin-" she trailed off after having tried to stand on her own resulting in Shikamaru having to catch her.

"Obviously not." He said sitting her back down on the couch.

Naruko's eyes watered even as she willed them not to. She just didn't understand how could he make her show this side of her? No one had ever seen her like this before. She looked at him, and he seemed worried.

"Look I'll be fine, besides shouldn't you be getting home?" she tried to distract his attention from herself.

"Nah, I'm sure the party will drag on into the early morning hours, and to be honest I wasn't planning on going back until tomorrow." He replied sitting back down.

"Well you can't stay here!"

"Why not?" he asked looking surprised.

Naruko's mouth was a gape but she could produce no stable reason why he shouldn't. After all she really couldn't get around all that well. Her heart was pounding and her face was reddening. He was looking at her waiting for an answer, but she hadn't one to give.

"I can't leave an injured girl all alone."

In the current situation she hadn't much room for argument, so after a moment she nodded in defeat.

"Alright then if you insist." She muttered sitting back resting her aching head on the couch.

They sat in silence for quite some time after Shikamaru got her all settled with some aspirin and ice for ankle and headache. Her eyes were closed but he could tell she was still awake. It was killing him.

"Why did you run away?" he asked finally addressing the reason they were in this predicament.

Her eyes opened and she looked at him with those blue eyes full of sadness, but she didn't speak at first. Naruko sighed at his question and then chuckled a bit darkly.

"I don't suppose you'll leave me alone if I don't tell you huh?"

"Probably not."

"I was embarrassed you saw me cry." She admitted reluctantly.

"That's the reason? Something that insignificant?" he asked shocked.

"Yea ya jerk! I haven't cried since I was eight years old and then I meet you in the woods and I suddenly can't keep my emotions under control! I was a little freaked out." She yelled, again with unstable emotions.

Her eyes welled up against her will, but she held the tears at bay. He watched her reaction and moved closer to her, but still kept a tiny bit of distance between them. He put his arm around her shoulder cautiously not sure if she'd punch him or not, but she didn't move at all.

"I'm sorry."

Naruko's eyes widened and she faced him. Something about the way he looked at her made her lose it. Tears started streaming down her face like a broken dam.

"Naruko?"

"I hate this." she revealed.

Shikamaru quickly removed his arm thinking he was at fault for her tears.

"My life." she clarified.

"What do you mean?" he asked with eyes full of concern, and his chest felt tight with nerves unsure if he was ready to help her.

"I'm tired of smiling for other's sakes. I'm not at all happy!" she yelled crying. "For years I've silently mourned the death of my parents never letting my smile waiver. I didn't want people to think I was weak, or for them to feel sorry for me…"

Shikamaru watched as she broke in front of him, and in that moment he stopped thinking and did what felt right. He pulled her close and his arms around her tightly. He understood the strain that she was put under feeling like she had to lie all the time. Being fake. He hated it too, but he couldn't imagine the burden she'd been carrying all alone.

"Naruko…it's okay to be sad, but if you don't express it you'll never be happy."

He pushed her away to see her face when he spoke. He wanted to die seeing the sorrow in her eyes. The holidays must really be hell for her without a family. He grimaced. He never knew and he doubted anyone who didn't know her parents directly knew either. She really had been all alone.

"I'm sorry." Is all she could say through ten years worth of pent up tears.

He gripped her tight and pulled her back into a hug. He didn't know what to say really.

She nodded crying into Shikamaru's chest. He rested his head on hers, and at some point they both fell asleep exhausted from the day's events.

Christmas morning came and Naruko woke up feeling somewhat sore, but warm. She peeked her eye open and realized immediately she wasn't alone, and the night's events flooded back to her. She touched her face where the tears had flowed and her skin was still sticky from the salt water. Her eyes widened.

She turned to see Shikamaru asleep. The boy who made her abandon all emotional dams and broke her smile. She watched him carefully while he slept, and while she understood what he'd done she just didn't know how he broke her down like that.

And yet for some reason she felt relieved? All these years of hiding her emotions she never realized how burdened she was, but now she felt lighter.

Naruko smiled for real, and Shikamaru woke up just in time to see it light up her eyes.

"Merry Christmas." He muttered sleepily with a smile.

"Merry Christmas…and um…thanks for last night…" she replied shyly.

"Do you feel better then?"

"Yea."

"Then no thanks necessary, just smile only when you're happy please."

She nodded, and he grabbed her hand intertwining they're fingers. His thought processes stopped and he pulled her close into a sweet kiss, nothing racy just a normal kiss in which she returned. She felt so happy.

He was the boy who saw her cry, and he saved her from the loneliness.

AN: Yea I know it's pretty crappy, but I tried. I guess FemNaru just not my thing huh? Well, let me know either way if it was good or bad ya won't hurt my feelings on this one. Lol.


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